Srinagar, May 13: With the employees having called for three-day strike later this month to press for enhancement of their retirement age, the state government Sunday asked them to give up the “path of confrontation” and come forward for talks.
 “There is no logic behind their (employees’) call for continuing with the agitation,” Law Minister, Ali Muhammad Sagar said. He said the government has always shown readiness for talks and there are “channels and ways” to engage.
 Angered by the government’s non-action, Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) – an amalgam of different employees associations in the state – has called for three-day strike starting May 24. It has called for secretariat gherao on May 25 and Raj Bhavan Chalo on May 26 while threatening to “dislodge the government” if their demands are not met.
 “Government does not believe in taking extreme steps,” Sagar responded to a question on the options available with the government to handle the next round of agitation by the employees.
 He said the employees should see for themselves the financial condition of the state. “It is easy to announce programs but we have to see the repercussions of the intending move,” he said.
 Chief Secretary, Madhav Lal said a committee set up by the government to recommend possible measures to redress the demands of the employees has already submitted its report. “(Now), Government has to take a decision. But it is not good on part of the employees to pressurize the government,” CS said and added that seeking enhancement in the (retirement) age is not the right of the employees.
 CS said the matter was being “actively considered” by the government and it is time for the employees to attend to their work. “We will try to talk to them ahead of the call given by them,” Madhav Lal said.
 Senior JCC member Abdul Qayoom Wani said more than 1.5 lakh posts are lying vacant in different government departments for the past many years. In education department alone, he said the number of vacant posts is above 30000 including around 7000 gazetted posts.
 “If government is so concerned about unemployment why it doesn’t fill up these posts when budgetary provisions are kept annually for the same,” said Wani who is also chairman of EJAC (Q).
 Wani accused government of politicizing the employees’ demands by raking up the issue of unemployment. “If the retirement age is enhanced 10,000 posts will become vacant in next two years. Government is already sleeping over filling up 1.5 lakh vacant posts,” he said.
 The JCC will not give up and it will ensure that the next three-day strike program is a success, he said.
 “Employees have always followed the JCC programs. It should be a concern for the government,” Wani said. “The stage of negotiations has ended and we want government to act on our demands which are genuine.”
 Another JCC member Khursheed Alam said since there has been no “response” from the government on the employees’ demands, the three-day strike program stands.
 “We have given time to the government ahead of another round of agitation to seek redress to our demands,” Alam said, “The ball is in the court of the government now.”
 The JCC called for the personal intervention of the chief minister on the issue. “We are shocked that the government continues to ignore its five lakh work force,” said Alam who heads EJAC (K).
 Alam hinted that JCC would intensify the agitation in coming days. “If government continues to show the cold response we are then left with little option to press for our demand,” he said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 13 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 May 2012 00:00:00 IST